BLC Weekly, September 9
Hello Bethlehem,
Thank you everyone who joined us Sunday for a day of fellowship, food and service projects! God’s Work, Our Hands continues this Wednesday. Reunite with your church family with worship, food, service and congregational art projects. We will also complete annual Time & Talent surveys so consider your gifts and the ways you would like to share them with Bethlehem.
After supper, help complete art and service projects, including school kit assembly, baptism blanket assembly and neighborhood clean ups! Garbage bags and gloves will be provided for anyone interested in helping to clean up the neighborhood.
This is also a great time to bring in Blessings Box donations as we restock for a new season! The new and improved Blessings Box is on the way and we are praying for a great season of sharing with our community. Suggested donation items include toothpaste, bar soap, deodorant, hand wipes, pads, pop-top canned goods, noodles, dry cereal, peanut butter, oatmeal packets, sports drink mixes, and snack packs.
Come and join us in faith, fellowship and fun as we kick off a new fall season here at Bethlehem!
THIS WEEK
Connections Shelter invites you to attend their Block Party on Sept. 12 as they kick off a new season with a goal of now serving the community all year round!
The BLC Men’s Group kicks off their first event of the season with Grilling & Monday night football on Monday, September 9th. Contact Pastor Jay Dahlvang with any questions.
Wednesday Night Suppers are back! Join us at 5pm in the lower level. We’ll be serving sloppy joe sandwiches, chips and cold pasta salad with DQ Dilly bars and popsicles for dessert!
NEW! Bibles and Brews is a new group gathering for casual conversations on faith and culture. Join Pastor Jacie at Pub 500 on Thursday, September 12th beginning at 6:00pm for their first gathering! Please let Pr. Jacie know by Tuesday if you’re attending.
Adult Forums return this Sunday. Daniel Zielske with the Mahkato Mdewakanton Association will present on the Mahkato Pow Wow this Sunday at 10:45am in Grounds for Joy.
Family faith formation
Family Faith Formation programming registration is now open and there’s something for everyone! Ages 3 years to 4th grade are invited to join LIGHT or NightLIGHT, grades 5th-6th are welcomed to TorchLIGHT and we have confirmation classes for 7th-9th graders. High school students are invited to attend monthly fellowship events. Join FFF Director, Anna Wencl and Children’s & Family Ministry Associate, Kaitlin Carter, for another great year!
Thanks for joining us at SCMN Pride on Saturday!
ANNOuncements
The Greater Mankato Diversity Council is hosting a Voter Registration Event on Saturday, September 21st, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the 127 S 2nd St Shared Spaces location. “Our goal is to make voter registration accessible to all eligible community members and ensure they are empowered to participate in the upcoming elections.” Contact GMDC if you are interested in volunteering at this event!
Border Servant Corps (BSC) has provided hospitality services to migrants in the borderlands as they continue their journey to family and/or sponsors within the United States. Now a Social Ministry Organization of the ELCA, BSC has welcomed more than 135,000 newly-arrived neighbors from across the globe with dignity and respect since 2019. BSC is a leader in both regional (border communities) and national immigration conversations, including meetings with White House and congressional staff. Join Mica Faull, Border Servant Corps’ Director of Engagement and Education, Monday, September 23, 7:00-8:30 here at Bethlehem. In addition to providing valuable information on the impact of Border Servant Corps’ ministry, Mica will share immigration updates that ‘go beyond the soundbites’ we hear on the news. All are welcome!
MinnValley Mutual Insurance Company is teaming up with the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota for Fire Safety Education Day! Join us on Saturday, September 14, 2024, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the museum in Mankato for a day full of fun and learning. This event is completely free and open to everyone. It’s a perfect opportunity for kids and families to explore fire safety in a fun, hands-on way. Attendees will also have a chance to win fire extinguishers or annual family passes to the Children’s Museum along with other fun giveaways for kids.
Small Groups are getting ready for the season. Sign up today. You can join BLC Men, the Women’s Circles, Meet & Eat, Bible studies, and more! Learn more and register on our website.
Bethlehem members are welcomed to join in the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association’s (LPNA) bi-monthly meetings, held here at Bethlehem. Meetings begin at 6:30pm in Grounds for Joy. Upcoming meetings are September 16, November 18th and January 20th.
Monthly Mission
Bethlehem’s September Monthly Mission partner is Iambi Secondary School Scholarships. This church-managed boarding school serves 200 students in the Mkalama district, Singida region in Tanzania. Academically, it is among the top ten schools in regional and national examination results. ISS has a conducive environment for students to learn with a reliable power supply, enough books, and enough teachers for all subjects. They also teach computer studies courses and religion. Gifts from Bethlehem have been transformative for ISS, and our past generosity enabled the school to install electricity, allowing the students and teachers to study and prepare lessons after the sun went down. Test scores soared, and enrollment boomed. Please give prayerfully and financially to our friends at Iambi Secondary School. You can give online or drop off a check written out to Bethlehem with the memo line: Monthly Mission, . Thank you for giving generously.
This Week in our Prayers
Curt Halvorson Marian Mallory Pete Wachtel
Anna Moses Jim Freyberg Barb Girtz
Amy Grams Haugesag Nick Frederick Royce Elker
Larry Frowick Don Grotta
The families & friends of Angeline Twardoski & Kathy Auel
Trondhjem Lutheran in Lonsdale West St. Olaf Lutheran in Byron
Trinity Lutheran in West Concord Peace Lutheran in Eyota
Neema Mpipiti Lutheran in Tanzania Deng Hoth Lutheran Parish in South Sudan Nkonkilangi Lutheran in Tanzania